Watford need to pay £1.7m to sign striker target that wants English move | OneFootball

Watford are keen on Maccabi Haifa striker Frantzdy Pierrot, who will be available for around £1.7m.

Highlights

Watford are interested in Maccabi Haifa striker Frantzdy Pierrot, who will be available to leave the Israeli side for around £1.7m during the summer transfer window.

The Hornets endured a difficult season last time out, as they struggled to push for the play-offs under Valerien Ismael, with the ex-West Brom chief then sacked and replaced by Tom Cleverley.

The former midfielder impressed enough on an interim basis to be handed a long-term contract, and he will now set about reshaping the squad.

Watford keen on deal for Frantzdy Pierrot

And, one area he will be desperate to strengthen is up front, as Mileta Rajovic was the only player to hit double figures in goals in the Championship last season, as he managed ten.

It appears the club are making progress on that front, as The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that they are ‘trying to sign’ the 29-year-old, who has impressed with his goal record in Israel.

Crucially, the update adds that Pierrot wants to test himself in English football, so he would be open to a switch to Vicarage Road, and that the price tag for the target man is £1.7m, which makes him affordable for Watford.

Frantzdy Pierrot could make an instant impact at Watford

At 29, Watford wouldn’t be signing a young player who is looking to fulfil his potential and make his mark in the game. Instead, they would be getting someone in his prime and capable of making an instant impact - which is what they need from a striker.

Standing at 6ft 4in, the Haiti international should have the physical tools to be able to cope with the Championship, and he could become the ideal focal point for Cleverley’s side.

Pleasingly, his goal record in recent years warrants respect, and he has found the net regularly for Maccabi Haifa in Europe as well as domestically.

Pierrot scored in both games against Slovan Bratislava and Gent in different competitions last season, and he also played a big part as Maccabi Haifa ran Fiorentina close in the Europa Conference League before they were eliminated by the eventual finalists.

When you add that to the 18 goals in 29 games he scored in the league, and a strike rate that is better than one in two for his country, then it’s fair to say that Pierrot would arrive with a decent pedigree.

Prior to his time at Maccabi Haifa, the big striker played for Mouscron and Guingamp.

Watford’s summer transfer plans

Watford, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a productive one.

Cleverley and the recruitment team will have to be intelligent in how they use the money at their disposal, and a big sale may help in terms of giving them more freedom in the market.

So, it’s going to be an interesting few months, but there’s no doubt they need at least one new striker through the door, and Pierrot would appear to be a decent fit on paper.

Scoring goals has been a massive problem, and, like many of their rivals in the Championship, finding that elusive clinical finisher is one of the main challenges for Watford this summer.